


We've Gotta Stick Together

by trappednightingale



Series: People Like Us 'Verse [2]
Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Background Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-05 11:57:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16367360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trappednightingale/pseuds/trappednightingale
Summary: Sometimes it takes the most unlikely of circumstances to bring together the most bitter of enemies.Or,How Bray Wyatt kidnapping Kane and the Undertaker led to Seth Rollins getting his head out of his ass.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter precedes Chapter 1 of People Like Us.

“—and then I said, “That’s not a knife… this is a knife!” Dean finished, laughing loudly at his own joke. He looked over at Roman expectantly, but the Samoan merely rolled his eyes.

“Dude, I’ve heard that story, like, a thousand times.”

“See, this is what sucks about only having one friend. You’ve heard all my stories, and I can’t tell you any new ones, ‘cause you’re in all of em.” Dean frowned. Whatever Roman said in response was lost under the sound of his phone beeping loudly. Dean raised an eyebrow as he pulled out the offending electronic, his eyes lighting up as he recognized the phone number. “AJ! Baby, what can I do for you?” He grinned excitedly as he held the phone up to his ear. Roman gave him a questioning look, but he merely waved him off.

_“Heya, Deano. It’s been awhile, yeah?”_

“Yeah, way too long. You been doin’ alright? Haven’t heard from ya in ages.”

_“Yeah, I’m good. How about you? You and Rome doing alright?”_

“We’re doin just fine. Crazy sex every Tuesday.”

_“Really didn’t need to know that.”_

“Yeah, but you were wonderin, so.”

_“I plead the Fifth.”_

“How’s retirement treating ya?” Dean’s smile faded as AJ fell silent. She didn’t seem to be her usual bubbly self. Sure, retirement was hard on anyone, especially people who loved the ring as much as they did, but she seemed really…off.

  _“Yeah…about that.”_ She finally spoke.

Immediately Dean’s curiosity was piqued. “Yeah?”

_“I’ve, uh. Actually worked it out that I can come back. I’m cleared with the trainers and everything.”_

“You’re comin back? AJ, that’s great! So when can we expect ya?”

_“Uh… well. That’s the thing. I have to handle something first. And I… I need help. I can’t do it on my own.”_

Dean frowned at that, and he waited a moment before speaking again.

“AJ, what’s this about?”

_“Have you ever really loved someone, Dean? Even though you’re separated, and even though there’s bad blood, you just…have all these feelings inside you that you can’t fight?”_

Immediately, Dean’s mind went to Seth Rollins, and he cursed inwardly, shooting Roman a somewhat guilty look. The two of them had a good thing now. It wasn’t Roman’s fault that he was still a little hung up on a certain two-toned bitch.

“Yeah, AJ. Yeah, I know a lot what that’s like.”

 _“I figured you would. It’s just… The Wyatts took Kane ages ago. And no one’s doing a damn thing about it. And I know that… if it was me, he’d be coming to my aid. At least, I hope he would.”_ Her voice was quiet as she spoke the last sentence, and something deep in Dean’s chest twisted in sympathy for her.

“What do you need me to do?”

_“I haven’t really figured that out yet. I know that Daniel knows where the Wyatt’s hide out is so I figured I would call him up and get their location. We’ll figure out a plan from there?”_

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m in. Anything you need, AJ. And I’ll have your back when you come back, too. You’re about to make a lot of enemies.”

_“I know. But… some things are worth the risk.”_

“I get that.”

_“Thank you, Dean. Really. You have no idea what this means to me. But hey, I gotta run. I’m about to be late for a training session. Gotta be on my A game, you know?”_

“Yeah, I know. Go, train. Shoot me a text or whatever when you figure shit out, yeah?”

_“I will. Thanks again, Dean.”_

“Anytime. Later.” He hung up the phone, then turned to face Roman, who was looking at him with an unreadable expression.

“Why do I have a feeling that was nothing but trouble?”

“It’s AJ, Rome. She needs my help.”

“With what?”  
  
Dean sighed, then explained the situation to him, carefully omitting what he’d gathered about AJ’s feelings for a certain demon. Roman’s expression only darkened through his explanation, and finally the Samoan shook his head.  
  
“Absolutely not. You can’t just… invade the Wyatt compound, Dean. That’s suicide.”

“I can’t let her go alone, and if I don’t go with her, she will.” Dean crossed his arms. “I’m going with her, Rome. Damn the consequences, I’m not gonna let her get killed.”

“You’re gonna get yourself seriously hurt in the process! We’ve fought these guys, remember? They’re not people you want to piss off.”

“No shit. But… she’s right. We gotta do something. If we don’t, no one will.”

Roman sighed and ran a hand over his face, glancing down at his phone. “I’m going to go workout some. But… we’ll talk about this more after Raw tonight, alright?”

Dean nodded. “Yeah… we will.”

Roman sighed again, then reached out to wrap Dean in a quick hug. “You care too much, you know that, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Dean scoffed, pushing Roman away slightly. “Go. Workout or whatever. I’ll probably take a run before the show tonight.”

Roman gave Dean a brief smile before turning and walking away. Dean watched him leave for a moment, heaving a brief sigh before turning away himself.

He wasn’t sure how long he wandered the arena, not looking for anything in particular, just trying to familiarize himself with the general layout of the place. He’d just rounded a corner when he ran into a wall of a man.

“Oomph! Wha—” His voice was cut off as his world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Precedes Chapter 1 of People Like Us

Seth Rollins cursed as he pulled up to the gym just a few streets away from the arena. He was panicking, to say the least, and he knew that logically it wasn’t his problem, and that he really should just let everything play out how it would, but there was something deep in him that just… wouldn’t let him. So he’d sought out the one person he knew would help.

“Roman! Roman, man, you gotta listen to me.” Seth panted as he burst into the gym, immediately rushing over to where Roman was lifting weights. His ex-teammate gave him an incredulous look, but slowly put the weights in the resting position. He removed a single earbud as he rose to a sitting position, then raised an eyebrow.

“The fuck do you want, Rollins?”

“Listen, I know I’m not… your favorite person right now. Or ever, actually. You probably hate my guts, and I seriously don’t blame you—”

“The point, Rollins. Get to it, or get the fuck out of my face.”

“It’s Dean.” He finally blurted out. This earned him both of Roman’s eyebrows raising up in surprise, so he pressed on. “I was kind of…around while you and Dean were talking at the arena earlier. I didn’t mean to be, but like, my locker room is right next to yours. And I thought you guys left, so I was going to leave, too, but then I saw, I saw—”

“Seth.”

“Right. I saw Braun Strowman like. Knock out Dean and drag him away. I tried to follow them, cause that’s shady as hell, but they just…disappeared.”

“They disappeared.” Roman stated in disbelief. “Right. Because that happens.”

“It does!” Seth pressed. “How many times have we fought the Wyatts and something really fucking weird happened that we couldn’t really explain, huh? Like when we fought them at Elimination Chamber and Dean vanished?”

“He told us that he snuck off for a cigarette…”

“He was lying, Roman. We never really got a straight answer out of him about that, remember? I’m telling you…It’s not just gimmicks, man, there’s something…weird going on there.”

Roman huffed, then pulled out his cell phone. “You’re freaking out for no reason, Rollins. I’m gonna call him right now. Then I’m gonna beat your face in for wasting my time.”

Seth crossed his arms and waited patiently as Roman dialed the phone. After a few moments, Roman frowned, and it was obvious that the call went to voicemail. He dialed again, and Seth shifted nervously. The longer they waited, the further away they got with Dean, and yeah, sure, technically they all hated each other’s guts right now, but still… it was Dean. It was one thing to beat the shit out of each other in the ring. Kidnapping, though… that was something else. And the Wyatts scared the shit out of Seth, and there was no telling what they wanted Dean for.

Roman’s eyes widened, and Seth leaned in closer to hear whatever was going on in the call. He barely heard a gravely voice laughing, then that same voice saying in a menacing tone

_ “Follow…the buzzards.” _

Seth could feel the click more than he could actually hear it, and he watched in concern as the phone fell from Roman’s hand to the floor.

“They…they have Dean. Shit. I should have fucking known they would pull something like this… they’re psychopaths, and they need to be stopped.” Roman growled, reaching down to pick up his phone before rising to his feet.

Seth swallowed somewhat awkwardly, uncrossing his arms. “Uh… need a ride?”

“Why the fuck should I trust you?”

“Because I’m the one who told you they took him in the first place?” Seth asked incredulously.

“Why do you care?”

“Jesus, Roman. I fucked up, I get that. I stabbed you guys in the back to further my career. But… I still care. In my own way. This shit with Dean terrifies me. I don’t wanna think about what they’re gonna do to him. It’s not right. When we have issues with each other, we handle them between the ropes. We don’t…kidnap other wrestlers and potentially torture them. I mean, seriously, how long has Randy been out? Not to mention Kane, and Undertaker… The way I see it, you’re gonna need all the help you can get. So. Do you want a ride, or not?” Seth glared at Roman defiantly, daring him to turn him away. He was going to help get Dean back, regardless of how Roman felt about it. Roman met his glare head-on, then sighed and shook his head.

“I think I have the ride covered, actually. But… you’re right. I’m gonna need all the help I can get. But I swear to god, if you screw me or Dean over, I’ll kill you myself. Fuck the ring.”

Seth’s eyes were wide, but he nodded in response. “Yeah, yeah. You got it…” He trailed off, then gave Roman a look. “What do you mean, you have a ride?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Precedes Chapter 1 of People Like Us

“I still have no idea how the bloody hell you talked me into this shit, AJ.” Paige grumbled from the driver’s seat of the pickup truck they’d rented. Roman and Seth were seated in the back, and Roman watched the interaction between the divas curiously.

“You owed me a favor. I gave you your first title run, remember? Not to mention all the times I had your back when the Bellas were on your ass.” AJ replied, waving her hand dismissively. Seth let out a quiet laugh at that, but Paige shot him a glare from the rearview mirror.

“Shut it, Rollins. I don’t get why you’re here, either.”

“Turns out the little bitch still has a soft spot for Dean.” AJ sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Don’t question it, Paige. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

“No, you’re going to need all the help you can get. I’m just driving the car.” Paige retorted, glancing down at the GPS on her phone. “Looks like we’re just about there.”

“You got a plan, AJ?” Roman finally spoke, looking at AJ expectantly. The smaller girl frowned, then nodded.

“Yeah. We’re gonna need to lay low, try not to draw attention to ourselves. We’ll split up, then regroup at the car as soon as we find someone. If no one else is back at the car when you get there, you go back out and you rescue someone else or you give backup. Whatever you gotta do until we save everyone.” She reached behind her to hand Roman a piece of paper. “This is a rough sketch of the Wyatt compound. I drew it up from Daniel’s description and highlighted places that sounded like good hostage facilities. Cellars, basements, sheds. Places like that.”

Roman accepted the page and looked over it, brow furrowed as he tried to come up with a plan of his own. Seth leaned closer to him so he could read over his shoulder, and Roman huffed before moving the page over so Seth could read it better.

“AJ, you should take the cellar. That’s probably where they have Kane, or the Undertaker. And if you find Taker, he can probably help you find Kane. I’ll take the basement on the north end of the compound. I’m a lot quicker than you guys, so I can probably cross more distance without being noticed. Rome, you take the sheds on the west end. You know Dean’s a fighter, so they wouldn’t wanna take him too far into the compound.” Seth pointed to the sheds he was referring to, and Roman snorted.

“And why should I take advice from you?”

“Because you know I’m right. I was the architect for a reason.” Seth handed Roman the paper, and the Samoan took it somewhat reluctantly.

“His strategy is sound, Rome.” AJ said quietly from the front seat. Her expression was unreadable as she looked back at him, and he finally relented, giving Seth a brief nod.

“Fine. But if you find him… you make sure he gets out of there safely, alright? Don’t waste time fighting.” Seth seemed to visibly relax at that, and Roman punched him lightly in the arm. “I’m still pissed at you. But right now looking out for Dean is my top priority. After that, we’ll work out our shit. Got it?”

“That wasn’t a question.” Seth grinned. “Yeah. We’ll work our shit out once we’ve got our boy back.”

Roman bristled at the expression, not liking the tone of Seth’s voice when he said ‘our boy’. Seth had spent months torturing Dean, breaking him in every way possible, and for him to suddenly decide that he cared… it didn’t sit right with Roman. At all. But that was a problem they’d have to tackle in the future. For right now, they were at peace.

* * *

What Seth hadn’t said was that Dean was a fighter, so you could bet your ass they were going to take him as far into the compound as they could to make it harder for him to escape. Roman had never been good with strategy, and he was too damn trusting in this instance. Which was why when Seth broke into the basement, he wasn’t even remotely surprised to find Dean there, slumped against the wall he was chained to—and Jesus, who the hell even has this kind of shit just in their house?—and breathing erratically. They’d only had him for a little over a day, but there was blood on the side of his head, trickling down his cheek, and he was sitting at an awkward angle that practically screamed broken ribs.

“Ambrose. Hey, Ambrose.” Seth whispered harshly, quickly crossing the room so he could kneel in front of the other. When no response came, Seth let out a string of curses and took Dean’s face in his hands. “C’mon, time to wake up. We don’t have time for your shit, Dean.” He hissed, pressing into the skin under Dean’s jaw. The other finally snapped awake, eyes wide and panicky for a moment before they softened considerably.

“Seth? Shit they must be drugging me good.” He drawled out, an easy smile on his lips.

“No, dumbass. I’m here, and I’m getting you out. C’mon.” Seth rolled his eyes, ignoring the way the expression on Dean’s face immediately hardened as Seth moved his hands to fiddle with the cuffs. They were old, rusty things, barely held together with old screws that Seth thankfully had no trouble undoing. From the way Dean was acting and holding himself, it was obvious they’d drugged him somehow, and they clearly weren’t planning for a rescue attempt. His brain screamed at him that it shouldn’t have been this easy, but he ignored it in favor of reaching forward to wrap an arm around Dean’s waist and hoist him to his feet. “C’mon, we’ve got a car waiting, but I can’t carry your ass all the way. You gotta help me out, here.”

Dean’s head lolled against his shoulder, but he was at least holding most of his own weight, so Seth took it as a win, dragging him to the door.

“How’d you…how’d you find me? Why’re you here?” Dean mumbled, his face pressed into Seth’s collarbone. Seth huffed out a breath in exasperation.

“I tracked down Roman, we joined up with AJ. You know, the same crazy-ass plan that got you kidnapped in the first place?”

Dean’s fingers tightened slightly against Seth’s shoulder at that, but he didn’t say anything else, just let himself be led through the rickety basement, only occasionally grunting in discomfort as a movement jostled his injuries. Once they were clear of the building, Seth pressed Dean into the wall behind the house, letting him rest and catch his breath so he could strategize. They were close to the woods, which could provide them with cover, but that just meant they’d have a further distance to travel. They could just try to cut through the compound, try to stick to shadows, but if they were caught… hell, Seth couldn’t take a single Wyatt on a good day, much less while trying to watch Dean’s back.

“We’re gonna fuckin die here.” Dean breathed, wincing as he leaned more of his weight against the building. Seth glared at that, moving to step closer.

“Not helping a goddamn thing, Ambrose.”

“Oh, so it’s Ambrose again?” Dean raised an eyebrow, still managing to be playful despite the dire nature of their situation. Seth opened his mouth to retort, but a loud, vaguely human roar just caused him to step forward, covering Dean’s body with his own as he pressed him further into the shadows. This was the stupidest thing he’d ever done, and yet. Dean was huffing a silent laugh against his collarbone, hands curling into his shirt, pulling him impossibly closer. Seth’s breath caught in his throat for a moment before remembering the fact that Dean was drugged and not in his right mind, and a lunatic even on his better days. There were reasons he’d left the metaphorical band. They just… weren’t coming to mind in this specific moment. He allowed himself a moment to indulge, burying his face in Dean’s hair for the slightest moment before pushing away. “We’re getting out of this, alright? I did not get this far just to get my neck snapped by some backwoods Duck Dynasty-looking motherfucker, alright?”

Dean smiled, nodding almost dreamily in response. God, the last time he’d looked so strung out… He’d been strung out. Seth had told Roman that Dean had just drank too much after he finally found him behind a dumpster in fucking Albuquerque, pale as a sheet and shaking, eyes glassy and wide and—shit. Thinking of that night wasn’t helping a damn thing. He needed to focus, he was the goddamned architect, and he could do this. He heard the roar again, further away this time, and he reached out to pull Dean to his feet. “C’mon. Now’s as good a time as any.”

Dean grunted in response, his feet barely keeping up as Seth tugged them to the next building, keeping an eye on their surroundings, and an ear out for any further evidence that they were being tracked. Thunder rumbled in the distance before a flash of lightning lit up the sky and the compound. Seth could see a lone figure across the way, looming and terrifying even as far away as they were. He used his body to shield Dean away from any prying eyes, hoping that his dark hair and clothes would help him blend into the shadows of the building. He waited until the unnaturally long-lasting light had finally faded from the dark sky before tugging Dean along again, letting out a quiet huff before turning to face him again. “Just… get on my back, alright? Won’t be the first time I’ve had to carry your ass around.” He attempted to maintain a haughty expression, but it didn’t matter because Dean was just nodding, stumbling forward so Seth barely had time to turn before arms were sliding around his neck. He tugged Dean’s legs up, moving them until they were linked together at the ankle around his waist before moving forward again. He felt Dean’s head slump down onto his shoulder, his limbs slowly loosening, and Seth quickly tightened his grip on the other, letting out a sigh of relief when he heard Dean’s breathing, shallow but even against the side of his throat. He let out a few quiet curses and pushed himself to quicken his pace. He had to get them out of there. He had to.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corresponds with People Like Us Chapter 1

When Roman finally made his way back to the truck, a silent Undertaker and a disgruntled Randy Orton on each side of him, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting. Paige sitting nonchalantly in the driver’s seat, painting her nails, wasn’t as big of a surprise as it should have been. Dean nestled in the bed of the truck, chest barely moving with each breath, however… That shocked him.

“Dean…” Roman released the two other men he was helping so he could crawl into the bed next to Dean, pulling his head so it was resting halfway in his lap. He looked up at the sound of gravel under boots, relaxing when he realized it was just Paige, coming to help everyone into somewhat comfortable positions in the truck. Undertaker didn’t even bother to respond to her offer, just hoisted himself into the passenger seat while Paige attempted to maneuver Randy as painlessly as possible into the backseat of the truck. She moved to the back of the truck once that was done, crossing her arms on the ledge.

“Gonna kiss your sleeping beauty, there?”

“Where’s Seth?” Roman growled, not bothering to answer her.

“I dunno. He said he’d seen you breaking into one of the houses with Taker so he figured you were alright, then said something about goin to find AJ.” She nodded towards Dean’s unconscious form. “He’s been like that since Rollins brought him. Looks strung out if you ask me.”

“Well I didn’t.” Roman snapped, curling even more protectively over Dean.

“Hey, do it your way. Like I said, I’m just here to play cabbie. But that—” she gestured towards Dean’s pale form “—looks bad, no matter who you are. You guys have gotten into some serious shit here.”

“You think I don’t know that? I tried to keep him out of it, alright? I didn’t want to fight this war. We never make it out of these things unscathed, but especially not Dean. I’m tired of watchin him get hurt.”

“Then I hope for all your sakes, you win this one.” Paige reached out to pat his arm before pushing off the side of the truck so she could resume her place in the driver’s seat. Dean mumbled something against his thigh, and Roman leaned forward to try to hear him better. But it was all nonsense, no actual words leaving his lips. Roman had never seen Dean like this, his skin clammy and pale, his body wracked with shudders every few minutes. It was terrifying him, and he had no idea what to do about any of it. He needed a hospital, hell, everyone probably did. Randy had bled all over him, and even the Undertaker had been covered in a layer of blood and dust that Roman had no idea how the hell he was going to wash out of the leather he was constantly wearing.

“Alright, AJ’s on her way with Kane, c’mon, we gotta roll!” Seth’s voice cut through the silence as he rushed towards them through the woods. He didn’t hesitate to jump over the side of the truck to crouch next to Dean, rapping his knuckles on the back window of the truck and gesturing towards the way he came from. “C’mon, they’ll never make it to us in time, the Wyatts are on the move!” He shouted. Paige nodded once before shifting gears so she could whip the truck around with an almost terrifying precision. Roman’s grip on Dean tightened even as Seth settled down further into the truck bed, shifting Dean’s body so he was held more steadily between them. The truck barreled through the forest, and Roman was surprised to see Seth burrowing down to protect Dean from oncoming branches even before he could move to do the same.

“He freaking burned a house down. Even in the state he’s in, he lit that fucker up.” Seth finally spoke, the howling wind almost overpowering his words.

“…how?” Roman finally asked incredulously.

“One of the houses we were behind had a shitton of lighter fluid and gasoline behind it. So we tipped em over and Dean threw a match when we ran away. It was… it was freaking beautiful, man. You shoulda seen it.”

Roman bit back his comment about how he probably could see it, if the bright yellow light in the distance was anything to go by, but then a shape came out of the fire, and Roman realized it wasn’t a house that was on fire. It was just… fire. That Kane was coming out of, cradling AJ to his chest. And that…was probably something he should have picked up on earlier. Years earlier, actually, but he’d never been good at picking up on whatever the hell was going on in anyone’s lives but that of his teammates. And even then, he’d been completely blindsided by—

“We’re not cool, alright?” Roman hissed as Paige twisted the truck around to head towards the literal ring of fire.

“I know, okay? I know. And I get that we’re gonna have to talk about shit. But right now, Dean’s our priority. Yeah, Rome, mine too. Once he’s clean-cleaned up, and we’re all on equal ground, we’ll talk, alright?”

“Fine. But we are talking about this.”

“Good. After the shitshow that was tonight… we need to.” Seth fell silent, curling more against Dean’s unconscious form as AJ and Kane jumped into the car. Roman didn’t say anything, either, just shifting to lay on his side so he could keep Seth and Dean in his sights as the compound and the forest slowly disappeared behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

When they admitted Dean, neither Seth nor Roman were initially allowed into his room. AJ had eventually marched up to someone in charge, sweetly reminded him that everyone in their party was more than capable of breaking every bone in their body, but more importantly, had access to all kinds of lawyers, and eventually someone had come to usher them both into Dean’s room. Some color had returned to his cheeks, and the heartbeat monitor was beeping steadily in a corner of the room. Seth sank into the chair next to Dean’s bed in relief, not hesitating to take the other’s hand in his own.

“You don’t have that right anymore.” Roman growled angrily, but Seth shot him a defiant look.

“Just sit on his other side. Jesus, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen him like this. Can’t you just… let me have this? Let me be happy that he’s not gonna have to be admitted somewhere for detox or rehab or—” he cut himself off, suddenly realizing that he’d said too much.

“What the hell are you on about, Rollins?”

“It’s not… not my place to say, alright? Just. Just know that I’ve seen him way worse off from shit he’s done to himself, so it’s really fucking nice to hear that he just had a really potent roofie in his system.” Seth sighed, leaning forward to rest his arms on the side of Dean’s bed, and Roman reluctantly found himself moving to Dean’s other side to mirror his position.

Seth was silent for a few moments, just watching the steady rise and fall of Dean’s chest. He'd missed this, even the bad parts. It was nice to be able to sit in the same room with his once-brothers and just…be. So of course Roman had to ruin it by opening his mouth.

“What the fuck do you want from us, Seth? I get that you're helping us, and that we’re all kind of at war now, but where does that leave us? You just gonna wait for the right time to stab us in the back? Again?”

“Can't let me have five goddamn minutes, I swear to god, Rome.” Seth muttered, pushing himself upright so he could look at the other. “I wanna come home, okay? That good enough for you?”

“It'll have to be.” Roman retorted, eyes locking with Seth’s. “Bottom line, this shit ain't up to you or me. I'll give you another chance because you saved Dean’s ass in a major way. But he's the one who gets to make the final call. He wants you out, you're out. I don't care how many Wyatts come after you. That's it.”

“Why don't you get a say? Didn't I hurt you, too?” Seth challenged. “Cause I know what we had and I know for a fact you didn't just crawl into bed with me and Dean cause you only wanted him. You wanted me, too, and we had something good and I fucked it up. I know I broke your heart just as bad as I did his.” Seth glared at Roman, silently daring him to contradict him. But Roman just shook his head.

“You and I both know you were never mine to lose. Maybe if you had been, things would be different. But you didn't come back for me, you came back for him. That's how it's always been. You and Dean…you've got something I could never touch. No matter how many times I tried to erase you, to fix what you did, he was still fucked up over you. Eventually I just stopped bringing you up cause I knew I couldn't change a damn thing.”

“I loved you, too, you know.” Seth replied quietly, tearing his gaze from Roman so he could look down at Dean’s unconscious form. “I know…I know it was different from what me and Dean had, but I did. And I knew that…when I left, he'd be okay, cause he had you. You were always the rock, Rome. You kept us sane.”

“Wasn't enough, though.”

“We fell apart a long time before I turned on you guys—”

“Yeah. And I'm always gonna wonder what I should have done differently to keep you around.”

“That's not on you. That was my mistake, my fuck up—”

“We all gotta live with it, though.” Roman sighed, and Seth looked up just in time to see him rest his face into the arm that was resting on the bed beside Dean. “Listen, I'm gonna try to sleep, okay? No idea what the hell our plan is for tomorrow, but we’re gonna need to be at our best so staying up all night to try to talk this shit out ain't gonna help a thing. We’ll deal with it tomorrow, all three of us. And we’ll go from there, okay?”

“Okay.” Seth nodded, shifting so he could rest his head on Dean’s other side, his fingers still tangled with Dean’s. After a moment, he spoke again. “For what it's worth, I still love you. Both of you.”

Roman was silent long enough for Seth to fear he'd fallen asleep, but eventually a response came. “I know. Me too. I just don't know if that's enough this time.”

* * *  
Dean was pretty fuckin out of it when he finally came to, barely even aware of the two bodies on either side of him when the nurse came to get his vitals.

“You're lucky to have such good friends to look after you.” The nurse said as she jotted down a few things onto her clipboard before unceremoniously shoving a thermometer into his mouth. He grunted in annoyance, finally looking down at the two dark-haired individuals still passed the fuck out on his bed. He noted that Seth was holding his hand, even in sleep, and his stomach turned unpleasantly as he remembered another hospital visit with the other. The thing in his mouth beeped, and he stared up at the nurse in defiance as she plucked it out of his mouth.  
“Ninety-seven point eight. Much better from the fever you were running last night. We’ll release you within the hour, but do try to stay away from shady bars from now on. Watch your drink at all times, and—”

“And never accept an open beverage from a stranger. Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

The nurse pursed her lips in annoyance. “I just don't want this to happen to you again. You won't always be lucky enough to have someone to watch your back, you know.”

Dean looked down at the two men on either side of him, tilting his head thoughtfully for a moment before baring his teeth in a cheap imitation of a grin at the nurse. “Yeah, actually. I will. Thanks for the concern, though. Won't happen again.”

The nurse forced a smile before turning on her heel and leaving without another word. Dean untangled his fingers from Seth’s, ignoring the grunt of protest so he could tangle his fingers in Seth’s hair.

“C’mon, rise and shine. Nurse says I'm good to go.” He tugged briefly on Seth’s hair, grinning when the other finally turned to look at him, blinking up at him in confusion. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty!”

“God, I forgot how obnoxious you were after being hydrated intravenously.”

“Big word for someone who's still half-asleep. And hey, at least I'm not dead.” He grinned, ignoring the look of pain on Seth’s face so he could shift his attention to Roman. “C’mon, Superman. Up and at ‘em.”

Roman growled in response but eventually lifted his head to glare at Dean through his tangled hair. “You're an asshole.”

“Yeah, but you love me.” Dean quipped, leaning down to smack a wet kiss onto Roman’s forehead. He felt Seth detach himself from his grip and looked over to see him rising to his feet.

“Gonna go check on Randy and the others.” Seth said gruffly, not looking at either of them. “Meet you guys out there.” He didn't wait for a response, just quickly exited through the open door, tugging angrily on his hair all the while.

"So you gonna tell me why the hell he was the one dragging my ass out of a basement?” Dean turned his attention back to Roman, who just sighed and nodded before beginning to explain.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter corresponds to Chapter 2 of People Like Us

Piling back into the truck was an ordeal, between Randy's constant bitching, Paige's outright refusal to speak as much as a word, Undertaker's stony silence and…whatever the hell was going on between AJ and Kane. Roman found himself once again herded into the bed of the truck with Dean and Seth, the former wedged between the two of them as he attempted to sleep off the drugs still in his system. Seth didn’t talk to him, just curled up against Dean and fell asleep within minutes of pulling onto whatever back road AJ had decided to take them on. They stopped every few hours so Paige and AJ could trade off driving duties, stopping at a few rest areas as well so they could get snacks and stretch their legs. By the time they arrived at the Undertaker’s house, Roman had only managed to get a few hours of sleep here and there, but he and his former stable mates were all wide awake.

Dinner was a quiet affair, but eventually the three silently agreed to retire to the guest bedroom they’d been assigned. It should have been weird, how easily they fell back into non-verbal communication, just using glances and expressions to convey what they needed to. But it wasn’t. Even Roman couldn’t deny how right it felt, despite everything. Michelle had laid out some clothes for them on the bed, and Dean picked up one of the t-shirts with a laugh.

“Taker merch. Why am I not surprised she has a shitton of this stuff laying around?”

Roman had to smile in response, and even Seth huffed out a quiet laugh. Roman tugged off his vest, noting that Dean was already stripping off his stained t-shirt. Seth, however, wasn’t moving even an inch and Roman rolled his eyes before shoving him lightly.

“It’s nothing we haven’t seen already.”

Dean was eyeing Seth silently, shirt balled up in his hands. “Go on, you can have first shower. God knows you and Rome take long enough with all your fancy hair shit.” Dean grinned before looking over at Roman. Roman sighed dramatically before nodding in response.

“Yeah, Rollins. You can have first shower. But take all the hot water and you’re sleeping on the couch with Kane tonight.” He was surprised at how soft his voice sounded, despite the obvious tension between the three of them. Seth eventually nodded, grabbing one of the stacks of clothes before leaving the room.

“He’s weird, isn’t he? The fuck did you say to him?” Dean asked, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Roman accusingly.

“I didn’t do anything—” Roman held up his hands defensively, but Dean cut him off.

“Don’t bullshit me. I get that you’re pissed at him, okay? I am too, you know? But… shit. It’s Seth. And yeah, he fucked us over in a major way. But when shit got bad, he was there. You fuckin told me he was the one to get your ass in gear. If he hadn’t… shit. I’d still be there, and I’d be way worse off than a little hungover. Maybe… maybe he’s ready to come back.”

Something in Roman’s chest twisted at the look of naked hope on Dean’s face, and he didn’t hesitate to cross the room to wrap the other in a tight hug. Dean relaxed into the embrace, and Roman buried his face into Dean’s hair, just breathing in the scent of sweat and smoke and antiseptic. It was a weird mix, but to be fair, it had been a weird couple of days.

“Sorry I didn’t come sooner… Sorry it took me so long to get to you.” Roman murmured, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Hey. Stop that. You got to me, and the others. That’s what matters.” Dean tightened his hold around Roman’s waist briefly, pressing his face against Roman’s chest. “We’ll figure this shit out, yeah?”

“We always do. Believe that.” Roman chuckled, even as Dean shoved him away.

“Believe in the Shield.” He retorted, eyes sparkling in obvious amusement.

“C’mere. Asshole.” Roman reached out to tug him forward by the back of his neck, pressing their lips together. Dean responded to the kiss instantly, but they both froze when they heard their door opening.

“Don’t stop on my account. I was just… I can sleep on the couch, if you want.” Seth’s eyes were wide underneath the towel draped over his still-dripping hair. His chest and feet were bare, the Undertaker-themed sweatpants hanging low on his hips. Dean pulled away from the kiss to give Seth an assessing look. Roman wasn’t sure what was going on between them, didn’t particularly like the way Seth’s jaw clenched when Dean looked at him, so he broke away from Dean completely to grab his own set of clothes.

“Don’t be stupid. AJ is still out there, and you really don’t wanna get in the way of whatever the hell is going on between her and Kane. Besides,” Roman paused in front of Seth, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “We’ve got shit to work out. Right?”

Seth just nodded in response, and Roman gave him a brief smile before leaving the room. He kept his shower quick, twisting his hair up into the towel before returning to the room. Dean and Seth were both sitting on the bed, heads bowed close together and speaking in quiet murmurs. Roman just raised an eyebrow before moving to join them, Seth laughing as he looked up and met Roman’s gaze.

“Sorry, man. That’s just. You’ve got a freaking pink towel on your head. This… will never not be funny to me.”

Even Dean was smirking slightly as he rose to his feet, patting Roman’s arm as he passed him. “Try not to kill him, yeah?”

“I make no promises.” Roman replied with a grin before he moved to sit down next to Seth on the bed. The other eyed him warily as Dean left the room before letting out a sigh.

“Give me your head. That shit is so bad for your hair, man.” Seth tugged on the towel on Roman’s head before it came free, and Roman huffed in annoyance as the other began tousling his hair underneath the towel. It was a painfully familiar gesture, and Roman reached up to tug the towel away from his face.

“I’ve got it.” He growled, wincing as Seth’s face fell somewhat. “Don’t need you to baby me.”

“Your hair man. Don’t come cryin to me when you go bald.” Seth shrugged, immediately closing off again. Roman sighed, then tossed the towel at Seth’s face.

“The second we get back to our shit, we are having a deep-conditioning party.”

Seth’s smile was almost blinding when he pushed the towel off his face. “I’ll bring the scarves.” His expression softened slightly as he shifted on the bed. “So… we’ll get back to normal, then?”

“We’ll see how things go.” Roman’s lips turned up into a brief smile. He settled back onto the bed, moving so he could rest against the headboard. Seth moved to sit next to him, folding his arms behind his head.

“You’re pretty relaxed for a guy who’s gonna be sharing a bed with two dudes you stabbed in the back.”

“You’re pretty relaxed for a guy who’s gonna share a bed with the guy who stabbed you in the back.” Seth retorted easily. Roman just shoved him in response, tilting his head back to rest against the headboard as he closed his eyes. It was almost too easy to slip back into the banter, even about such a painful subject.

“God, you guys suck, you know that?” Dean sighed as he re-entered the room. Roman was honestly more impressed that Dean had remembered to put on sweatpants than he was surprised at his lack of shirt. Dean didn’t usually wander around stranger’s houses without proper clothing, but. It was late, and it’s not like his scars were anything any of them hadn’t seen before. Seth’s eyes were soft as he looked at the other, and Roman let out a quiet sigh.

“Yeah, big guy. I’m pissed as hell. There was no hot water, man. None. No matter how far I turned the knobby thing to the right. Swear to god, it just got colder.”

Roman and Seth exchanged a brief look before bursting into laughter. Roman clutched his stomach as laughter tore through him, and Seth turned towards him to grab his arm.

“Dude. Right is cold. Left is hot. C’mon, man. Their shower is not that complicated.” Seth finally got out, fingers tightening on Roman’s bicep.

“The thing had water comin from the freakin’ walls. Don’t give me your shit, Rollins.” Dean huffed before crawling on the bed to push himself between them. He turned over to lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling through his damp bangs. “So… we talkin about this, or what? Cause, like. I don’t know what the hell we’re getting into, but if we’re not all on the same page, we’re fucked. We don’t need those kinds of distractions.”

“He’s right.” Seth sighed, bringing his hands to rub over his face. “I’ll… I’ll start, okay? I fucked up. I fucked you guys over for my own personal gain, and it was fucked up and—”

“Why’d you pull away?” Dean interjected, then winced. “Listen, I don’t know about Rome, but… I don’t give a shit about what happens in the ring. Allegiances change all the time, it’s a part of the job, you know? I just… You started pulling away way before any of that shit. And if we don’t talk about that… shit’s just gonna keep happening.” Dean was still staring at the ceiling, and Roman brought a hand up to tangle in Dean’s hair. Seth just looked at the pair of them for a moment, before letting out a sigh.

“I just… I didn’t want us to hold each other back. And I just figured… it’d be easier if you guys hated me. Dean, you know all our best matches have been against each other. And Rome… you needed a push to get stronger on your own. The best guys in the business come out of the worst turns, you know?” Seth tugged on his hair before Dean reached up to swat at his hands.

“Stop that. For the record, that was a dick move. You should have just… fuckin talked to us. If you wanted to do your own thing, that’s fine. I get that. But like… you didn’t have to lose us in the process. We have always put on the best damn show any of them have ever seen. We coulda handled separating our personal lives from our ring life. That’s… literally in our job description.” Dean frowned, tugging Seth’s hands down so he could tangle their fingers together and rest them on his chest. “We had something really fuckin good and… you should’ve trusted us. Cause this… whatever the hell this is ain’t gonna work if we don’t trust each other.”

“You really think you can ever trust me again after that shit? Either of you?” Seth and Dean both looked over at Roman at Seth’s words, and the Samoan just sighed and closed his eyes.

“I think that we’re in a really shitty situation right now. The Wyatts legit tried to kill at least four people. They’re coming for us in a major way and… If we can’t trust each other, we’re fucked. But… if we can trust each other, if we give this another shot, and whatever that entails… We’ll make it out of this. But we’ve gotta have each other’s backs.”

Dean’s face slowly shifted into a smile, eyes full of hope as he looked up at Roman, then back over at Seth. “So… Shield reunion? I mean, we’re still a faction with all those losers and stuff, but… Reuniting as the Shield could like. Give us a united front or whatever.”

“Could help the storyline make sense. As much as any of this shit can make sense.” Roman mused, looking over at Seth. “Up to you, man. What do you say?”

Seth was quiet for a moment, not looking at either of them before finally scoffing. “I say… believe in the Shield.” He thrust his fist out, finally meeting Dean and Roman’s gaze with a defiant grin.

Roman waited for Dean to press his fist against Seth’s before huffing and bumping his fist against Dean’s. “Believe that.”

Dean let out a triumphant laugh before turning so he could kneel on the bed, looking between them before wrapping a hand around both of their necks and roughly bumping their heads together. Roman laughed quietly, bringing his hands up to rest on Dean and Seth’s shoulders, feeling Seth’s hands move to rest on each of their legs. They weren’t perfect, weren’t even remotely close to having their shit together, but Dean shifting to press sloppy kisses to his and Seth’s temple, and Seth’s breath ghosting lightly over his face as he brushed his lips against Roman’s cheek… It all made him think that maybe, just maybe, they would figure out how to be okay.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Corresponds with Chapter 4 of People Like Us

In the hallway of the arena, Dean was bouncing from foot to foot anxiously, letting out an annoyed huff before moving to press his ear to the door. 

“Will you calm down? The Wyatts aren’t gonna try anything with the girls tonight.” Roman muttered, placing a hand on Dean’s shoulder. A hand which Dean immediately shrugged off. 

“Yeah, but what if they do, huh? AJ is out there, defenseless against a maniac like Wyatt while we’re out here in the freaking hallway, doing fuck all.” 

“We’re waiting for the opportune moment.” Seth said, drawing Dean’s attention away from the door and onto the brunet. 

“The opportune moment, huh?” Dean searched Seth’s face for something, but what, he wasn’t quite sure. He wasn’t usually a wreck like this before matches, but something had felt wrong earlier, when he was the one to walk AJ to gorilla instead of Kane, when he’d had to follow some tech dude to where his brothers were waiting in the external hallway of the arena. 

“We’ve just… we’ve gotta be smart about this. We’re gonna piss off a lot of people by coming out together. We’ve gotta time it just right or none of this will work.” Seth replied.

“You mean we’re gonna piss off a lot of people.” Dean retorted, gesturing to Roman and himself. “We’re supposed to hate your guts. People start seeing that we’re hanging around you… Could go pretty bad for me and Rome.”

Dean didn’t miss the flash of hurt in Seth’s eyes, and he opened his mouth to say something, but then Roman was grabbing his arm, shoving him towards the door. “AJ’s promo is starting. Figured you wouldn’t wanna miss that.”

Dean brightened at that, and he grinned as he pressed his ear to the door again, just barely able to make out her words. She was talking about the Diva’s Revolution, talking herself up, saying something disparaging about the Bella twins--oh yeah, they still existed; strange, how the rest of the world seemed to fade away in the face of something as terrifying as the Wyatts-- and then she was bringing it back to herself, and Dean could not have been more proud of her. The girl knew how to cut a promo, and he’d missed hearing her scathing remarks every week. The bell rang, and it was great, to hear the crowd roaring for AJ, to hear the chants for one of his best friends. 

He could remember the night they met, years before when he was planting one of their videos in the tech booth to be aired later that night. He never got a full answer as to what she was doing, mulling around the tech booth so close to show time, but there she was, sitting on top of an equipment container, almost like she was waiting for him. He blinked at her, she’d smiled sweetly at him; he threatened to show her what crazy really looked like, she’d said something snarky back; he threatened to cut her head off and leave her body in the very equipment container she was sitting on, she laughed and declared that she liked him; and the rest was history. 

Too soon, he heard a familiar noise cut through the arena, and the lights in the hallway went dark. “Shit.” He grabbed the person nearest to him and threw them towards the door, trusting that whoever it was would move quickly enough to not be in his way--and so of course, he ran into a back just as the lights went up. It was Seth, and he wanted to scream, but instead he grabbed the other by the shoulders.

“Get a move on, Rollins, now is not the time for cold feet!” He growled.

“No, it’s not. It’s not cold feet. We just… we’d better wait. Give it a second, figure out what gets said, then we’ll move.” Seth responded, putting a hand on Dean’s chest. It was terrifying, how calming that hand was, how good it felt to have Seth there again, centering him. But it wasn’t the right time to be having that thought, AJ was in danger and nothing was going to stop him from getting to his friend.

“Move, Rollins.”

“Dean. Listen.” Seth rolled his eyes, reaching up to grab him by the neck and press his face to the door. 

“Son of a bitch, I’m going to kill you.” Dean grumbled, but he closed his mouth with an audible click. He frowned, hearing what was being said before peeking his head through the door so he could actually see what was going on.

“Dean, kayfabe!” Seth scolded, but Dean quickly ducked his head back in, shooting a grin at Seth.

“He ain’t even out there. Just a face on a screen.” He felt a little guilty, for how disappointed he felt. War had always brought the Shield together, and he’d thought it was finally time for them to be a cohesive unit again. But AJ and Paige weren’t in trouble, they were just… standing there in the middle of the ring, AJ fearlessly shouting back at Bray. He only had a second to feel relief before the arena lights were cutting out again, and that time, Seth was the one to grab him, shoving him through the door. The lights went back up, and Dean let out a shout of defiance as he saw the Wyatt family surrounding the girls. Their music hit, and then they were rushing towards the ring, Seth grabbing a mic from a nearby tech guy and spouting off something about injustice before they were moving together, a solid unit pushing through the crowd and making their way down to the arena to defend the girls. 

It felt good, being part of a team again, having both of his boys around him as they fought off the Wyatt family. It almost felt like nothing had changed, like they were back to where they had been over a year before, a brotherhood standing tall against whatever obstacles stood in their way. It didn’t take Dean long to realize that the Wyatts outnumbered them, but that thought was immediately cut short as the arena went dark again and the ring-posts erupted in flames.

Kane.

Perfect timing.

Except for the part where it wasn’t, because Bray had AJ by the wrist and was throwing her and-- he rushed towards her, but then the arena went black again and shit why was that everyone’s fucking thing?

As soon as the lights were back on, Dean went to move towards AJ, but stopped after taking a single step. Kane was already there, gingerly scooping the Diva into his arms and taking them out of the ring.

“Dean.” Seth hissed, drawing his attention just as their music hit. Seth’s eyes were wide, his hair a puffy mess, and even Roman looked a little shaken up. It was painfully obvious that none of them had really been prepared for this war with the Wyatts, but they couldn’t let the crowd know that.

Dean walked over to his teammates, giving Seth a searching look before all three of them simultaneously extended their hands, pressing their fists together in a painfully familiar symbol.

The Shield was back together. The war was on.

* * *

After the fight with the Wyatts, Seth was practically shaking with adrenaline. They’d managed to get Paige backstage, where Randy was already waiting with bottles of water and towels. Paige had collapsed into one of the chairs, not looking any of them in the eye even as Randy moved to sit next to her, and neither Kane nor AJ were anywhere to be found.

“Probably with the trainer. C’mon, let’s get cleaned up, then we gotta talk about what the hell we’re gonna say in our next promo.” Dean muttered as he ushered them towards one of the lesser-used locker rooms. The show was still going on, so they didn’t really have to worry about anyone stopping them or asking any questions.

That all worked out well because as soon as they were in the locker room, Roman was shoving Seth into a wall. He only had a second to feel panic before the other’s teeth were scraping against his neck. Seth was vaguely aware of Dean chuckling somewhere behind Roman before the lunatic fringe was pressing against his other side, hands tangling in Seth’s hair as Dean pulled him into a kiss. It should have been weirder, should have been at least somewhat awkward, but it wasn’t. It was natural to kiss Dean back while tilting his head so Roman could suck a mark low on his neck, then to gasp a breath as Dean pulled away so Roman could kiss him instead.

“Not that I’m complaining… but what the hell?” Seth finally managed to get out when the two finally pulled away. Dean and Roman just exchanged a look before returning their attention to Seth.

“Was this… not what you wanted?” Roman asked, brow furrowed in confusion. “I know we didn’t… come right out and say it last night, but. I thought you wanted this.”

“Us. We thought you wanted us again.” Dean corrected quietly, tilting his head as he gave Seth an assessing look. “You… this was always what you wanted, after a particularly nasty match. Figured it was a good time.”

“No, I mean. Yes. Yes, this is what I want. I just didn’t think you guys would be cool with it so fast. Figured we’d need to take it slow or whatever.” Seth flushed slightly as Dean gave him a wicked smirk.

“Since when have we ever taken anything slow, huh?”

“Not really our style.” Roman hummed, stepping closer into Seth’s space. His hands moved to Seth’s hips, and Dean’s moved to tangle in his hair again and Seth let out a quiet sigh.

“You guys are gonna be the death of me.” Seth shuddered as Dean nipped at his jaw.

“Yeah, but what a way to go, am I right?” Dean grinned into his skin. Seth reached up to grip Dean and Roman’s shirtfronts in each hand, surprised to find at just how much he needed them to ground him in that moment, how easy it was to just fall back into the same behaviors from so long ago. Seth turned his head to press his lips to Dean’s for a brief moment before kissing Roman, as well. It had been so long since they’d done this, but it still felt natural to alternate between kissing the two men who had him caged against the wall, and after a moment he just let himself get caught up in the sensation of finally getting everything he’d ever wanted.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Corresponds to Chapter 6 of People Like Us

Nothing lasts forever. Their truce was good for a few days, full of training and driving and kissing and snuggling and basically being absolutely sickening with each other.

But then they were all in their hotel room, draped all over each other and watching old matches. Dean probably shouldn’t have been drinking considering whatever the hell had been in his system a few days ago, but he had a group of people looking out for him, and Seth pressed against him with Roman stretched out on the foot of the bed, so he knew he’d be safe no matter what.

And then.

And then Seth opened his mouth.  

And then Dean said something back, his brain too fuzzy and red for him to even comprehend what he was saying before he was grabbing his jacket and slamming the door behind him. He shrugged into the familiar leather and walked down the hall, not caring that he was wearing pajama bottoms and hadn’t remembered to grab shoes. He just stormed through the door of the hotel until he was outside, on the back end of the building, staring up at the clear night sky. Dean didn’t hesitate to pluck the beaten-up carton of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and light one up, breathing in the familiar taste of smoke and tobacco. He leaned against the side of the building, holding his free hand out in front of him and cursing when he realized how bad he was shaking. He took a long pull from his cigarette, closing his eyes and just breathing it in for a few moments.

_ /And you wonder why I hit you motherfuckers with a chair…/ _

Dean wasn't sure how much time had passed before he heard the door opening and footsteps approaching him. He didn’t have to open his eyes to know what to expect, to know that Seth Rollins was now standing in front of him, probably giving him his best puppy dog eyes from behind those stupidly cute glasses. 

“The fuck you think you're doin, Rollins?” Dean asked, slowly opening his eyes as he breathed out smoke. Sure enough, Seth was staring at him through the lenses of his glasses, actually having the audacity to look somewhat ashamed.

“I shouldn't have joked about that. I know maybe one day, we’ll get to a place where we can laugh about it, but—”

"Less than a week ago, I hated your guts for what you did.” Dean cut him off, taking another drag from his cigarette. “And then you come outta nowhere, save my life, and then you're falling back in with us like nothin happened but. It did happen. We went years without talking, spent months making each other's lives hell and…that shit don't go away overnight.” He quickly put the cigarette to his mouth again, letting out a quiet curse. “You got…no idea. Every night I go to sleep wonderin if you'll be gone in the mornin, wonderin if you'll wake up and decide to fuck us over again. Fuckin sucks, man.”

"And then I go and remind you of the shit I pulled, and we’re back to square one.” Seth huffed out a sigh, running his hand through his hair before moving to lean against the wall next to Dean. He tilted his head up to stare at the sky, and Dean turned on his side so he could get a better look at Seth. It was obvious the other was feeling the effects of all the stress they were all under, from the bags under his eyes to the slouched manner he was holding himself. “Maybe… we should have thought things through before we decided to do this.”

Dean’s jaw clenched visibly as he took another pull from his cigarette before tossing it to the ground. “That how you feel? Or are you just lookin for an excuse to run?”

Seth looked over at him, expression unreadable for a moment or two before he sighed and shook his head. “I… I don’t know, man. I really don’t know.”

“That’s fair. Gotta do what’s best for you, right?” Dean said quietly, voice level despite the amount of desperation he was feeling. Sure, he was struggling with trust and all of that, but goddammit, he’d just gotten Seth back and he knew damn well that he was seconds away from losing him again.

“I think that… you guys have always been what’s best for me. Even if you don’t trust me… if I run away now, you’ll never trust me ever again. And I want that, I need that. I need you. If you’ll let me in… I promise to try and earn your trust back, alright? Every day, I’ll get better to make up for all the shit that I’ve pulled. Cause you deserve better. You both do.” Seth crossed his arms over his chest, but Dean reached out to tug on them until he could invade Seth’s space, pressing their fronts together in a strange imitation of an embrace, with Dean’s hands wrapped loosely around Seth’s wrists at their sides. Dean pressed his face against Seth’s neck, just breathing in for a few moments before speaking again.

“We’ll get better. But we’ve gotta stick together or this will never work. So don’t… don’t fuckin leave me again, alright?” He muttered against Seth’s skin, not moving until Seth tilted his head down to press a kiss to the side of Dean’s head.

“You’ve got me, alright? You’ve got me. I’m here.” Seth tugged until Dean released his wrists, then moved to tangle his hands in Dean’s hair, just keeping him there, pressed against him. Dean breathed him in for a moment, letting the taste of stale cigarettes mix with the smell of sweat and that fancy hair gel Seth was so fond of.

“You’ve got me, too, you know. Always have. Even after everything.” Dean mumbled. Seth’s fingers tightened in his hair at that, and Dean let out a questioning noise.

“After you left the room… Roman told me I needed to fix it. And I was stupid and lashed out and said… Said that he needed to fix it, cause you weren't mine anymore.” Seth let out a quiet laugh, a broken, bitter sound. “And he got pissed. And I thought…I thought I was just a footnote, you know? An afterthought addition to the Ambreigns train. I thought it pissed him off cause like. I was the one that fucked up and he wanted me to own it or whatever but that's not it, is it?”

"Like I said, I never stopped. It's been you and me for as long as I can remember, you know?” Dean replied gruffly, pulling away so he could look at Seth. “Even when we were fighting and tryin to kill each other… It was still you and me, in a way. I hated when our feud ended cause like. It felt like that was it. Felt like the last connection I had to you was just…gone. And Rome tried to fix it, but. He was always too sturdy, and I was always too unstable and. Shit. Remember the Shield Summit? When you said you were tired of being the glue that kept us together? We thought it was bullshit till you weren't there anymore. Rome and I…we only work when you're there. That's what made us so great, in and out of the ring.”

"I think…I get what you're saying, I do. And I think, if we work at it, and work on rebuilding that trust…we can be great again. In and out of the ring. If that's what you want.”

Dean was unable to verbalize a response at that, chest filled with too much hope and happiness and love and other positive emotions he hadn’t felt in years. But when Seth looked back at him, Dean knew that his stupid smile was more than enough answer.


End file.
